FIA History

Established in 1952 by British Equity and the Syndicat Français des Artistes-Interprètes, FIA has today grown into a truly global federation. A fascinating account of those early years was written by Gerald Croasdell, Secretary General of FIA from 1974 to 1983. It highlights in particular the exceptionally difficult circumstances into which the Federation emerged: in the wake of the Second World War and the cold war that followed. New challenges too were emerging: the advent of television and the exchange of recorded TV and radio programmes were changing the working landscape of performers.

Documenting its rich history is part of FIA’s ongoing projects. Work is currently underway to gather together and make available the many important agreements, declarations and resources that FIA has produced throughout its history. Marked by moments of strong international solidarity, FIA’s history show the strength and unity that has characterised the federation since the outset. In the coming months, FIA will bring together a fully documented timeline to bring this vivid history to life.

In the meantime, some key documents are already available for download: